Fairbanks to Whittier Alaska Sampler - Tour 163

From tundra to tall mountains to a tiny coastal town, take a pre-cruise land tour through the last frontier.

Watch a small plane take off next to Riverboat Discovery.

Fairbanks to Whittier Alaska Sampler - Tour 163

From tundra to tall mountains to a tiny coastal town, take a pre-cruise land tour through the last frontier.

Clear shot of grizzly bear in Denali National Park.

Fairbanks to Whittier Alaska Sampler - Tour 163

From tundra to tall mountains to a tiny coastal town, take a pre-cruise land tour through the last frontier.

Alaska Railroad locomotives past Hurricane Gulch on the way to Denali National Park.

Fairbanks to Whittier Alaska Sampler - Tour 163

From tundra to tall mountains to a tiny coastal town, take a pre-cruise land tour through the last frontier.

Fairbanks to Whittier Alaska Sampler - Tour 163

From tundra to tall mountains to a tiny coastal town, take a pre-cruise land tour through the last frontier.

Overview
What's Included
Itinerary
Map
Rates & Dates
Options & Upgrades
Photos
Add to My Trip

Trip Overview

Experience Fairbanks and Denali National Park before embarking on a Princess or Holland America cruise from Whittier with this six-day land package. The trip starts with two nights in Fairbanks, then travels south to Denali National Park, and eventually Talkeetna via train. These legs are part of the railroad's flagship Denali Star route. In Talkeetna, travelers complete their land tour with a transfer to Whittier via the Park Connection Motorcoach. This trip's highly rated day tours include a serene morning raft trip, immersive wildlife tour of Denali National Park, and flightseeing trip into the Alaska Range.

Trip Highlights

Board a historic sternwheeler on the Chena River for a unique Fairbanks history and culture tour.
See the landscapes and wildlife of Denali National Park on a fully guided bus tour down the singular Park Road.
Float mild water of the Nenana River on a scenic raft trip near Denali Park.
Ride the Denali Star train route between Fairbanks and Talkeetna.
Easily transfer from Talkeetna to Whittier in a single day aboard the Park Connection Motorcoach.

Why Pick This Trip

If you're going to travel all the way to Alaska for a cruise, this pre-cruise land package helps you make the most of your travel time and maximizes your experience in this big, dynamic state. You'll see so much more than by cruise alone. Plus, after a full six days of exploring Fairbanks and the Denali Park area, the trip conveniently concludes at the cruise terminal in Whittier.

What's Included

Here is everything that is included. Remember, we can easily add or remove services so this vacation package is the perfect fit for your party.

Fairbanks | 2 Nights

Relax in a private riverfront or garden cottage in this quaint property. The resort, which offers a free shuttle service to the Fairbanks airport and depot, is located on the banks of the Chena River. Learn More >

Fairbanks | Depart 2:00 PM | 3 Hours

Ride on a historic sternwheeler on this fully narrated three-hour tour featuring floatplane and sled dog demonstrations and an Athabascan village walk. Learn More >

Depart 8:20 AM | Arrive Denali Park 12:10 PM

Ride south to Denali National Park aboard this privately owned and operated dome car. Service features a la cart breakfast and comfortable reserved seats in the car's upper deck. Learn More >

Denali Park | Depart 6:30 PM | 3 Hours

Float down the Nenana River on mild water excursion with Denali's longest-running rafting company. Learn More >

Denali Park | 2 Nights

Stay in a cedar cabin or comfortable lodge room at this resort-style property. The Village is seven miles from the entrance to Denali Park and offers guests free shuttle service. Learn More >

Denali Park | Depart 6:00 AM | 5 Hours

Fully narrated bus tour with a turnaround point at the historic Murie Cabin deep inside Denali National Park. Learn More >

Depart 12:30 PM | Arrive Talkeetna 5:05 PM

Settle in for a relaxing luxury train experience aboard this private railcar service. All passengers enjoy upper-level dome car seating on a southbound trip that takes just over four hours. Learn More >

Talkeetna | Depart 6:30 PM | 1 Hour

Experience the extreme beauty of Denali and the fortress of granite peaks surrounding it on this must-do flightseeing trip out of Talkeetna. Learn More >

Talkeetna | 1 Night

When the mountain is "out" Denali is unmissable from this ridge-top property. The lodge comprises two full-service restaurants, a coffee shop, bar, and comfortable guest rooms with either forest or mountain views. Learn More >

Depart 11:00 AM | Arrive Whittier 5:00 PM

Transfer directly to the Whittier cruise terminal from Talkeetna in a half day aboard a luxury Park Connection Motorcoach. The transfer includes a lunch stop in Anchorage. Learn More >

Itinerary

Read on for a day-by-day breakdown of this tour package. Click on an item to get started, and be sure to contact us if you have any questions.

Fly into the Fairbanks International Airport and transfer to your nearby hotel by courtesy shuttle. Overnight Fairbanks.

Enjoy a relaxed morning at your riverside hotel before taking an Alaska history and culture tour aboard a sternwheeler on the Chena River. Overnight Fairbanks.

Transfer to the Fairbanks Depot for your morning train to Denali National Park. This afternoon, you'll trade the railroad ride for a scenic raft trip on the Nenana River. Overnight Denali.

Today you'll head beyond the Denali National Park boundary, traveling by guided bus tour along the park's single road. With luck, you'll see much of the area's beloved wildlife: Moose amongst the alders, straw-colored grizzly sows with spring cubs in tow, small groups of caribou, perhaps even Dall sheep perched high on alpine cliffsides. Overnight Denali.

Arrive at the Denali Depot to catch the midday train to Talkeetna. Continuing south you'll crest the railroad's high point at the Continental Divide and cross the 918-foot-tall Hurricane Gulch bridge.

This evening you'll travel well within the bounds of Denali National Park once more, this time aboard a small plane. The flightseeing trip is uncommonly scenic, giving you jaw dropping views of the mountains you've till now only seen from a distance. There's no better way to experience their immensity and raw, rugged beauty. Overnight Talkeetna.

Today you'll connect via the Park Connection Motorcoach to your cruise in Whittier. The coach leaves late morning and stops for a break in Anchorage before proceeding along the Turnagain Arm, into Portage Valley, and through the impressive Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The package concludes with your arrival at the cruise terminal in Whittier.

Map

Check out the map below for a visual overview of this specific tour package. You can see a larger version of the map here, or try our an interactive tour map by using the link below.

SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP >

Rates & Dates

The prices below will give you an idea of approximately how much this trip will cost. Keep in mind your actual price will likely vary based on your departure date, availability, and any modifications you make. You can use one of the links below to request an exact quote for your party, or price the trip yourself if you prefer using our My Trip feature. You can often save money by traveling in the value season, typically May and September.

	Single	Double	Triple	Quad	Child
Tour Price	Single: $3,075	Double: $2,122	Triple: $1,849	Quad: $1,713	Child: $718
Taxes & Fees	Single: $193	Double: $121	Triple: $100	Quad: $89	Child: $22
Total	Single: $3,268	Double: $2,243	Triple: $1,949	Quad: $1,802	Child: $740
The columns above represent room occupancy. For example, "Double" means two adults sharing one room. The "Child" rate shown is based on an 11 year old sharing a room with two adults.

	Single	Double	Triple	Quad	Child
Tour Price	Single: $3,075	Double: $2,122	Triple: $1,849	Quad: $1,713	Child: $718
Taxes & Fees	Single: $193	Double: $121	Triple: $100	Quad: $89	Child: $22
Total	Single: $3,268	Double: $2,243	Triple: $1,949	Quad: $1,802	Child: $740
The columns above represent room occupancy. For example, "Double" means two adults sharing one room. The "Child" rate shown is based on an 11 year old sharing a room with two adults.

Options and Add-Ons

This is one of our most popular pre-cruise tour packages, but you can make it even better! We can add or remove services to make it a perfect match for your party. For example, many of our guests choose to add a morning Arctic Circle tour on their first full day in Fairbanks. Want to see more of the Alaska Range? Switch to a scenic Denali flight with glacier landing. You have many choices, and just a few suggestions are listed below.

You can make these changes at check out and your final package price will be updated to reflect just the services you choose. Give us a call or request a quote for more specifics.

Fairbanks | Depart 7:00 AM | 5 Hours

Spend two hours flightseeing and three hours on the ground exploring the extreme environment above the Arctic Circle on this guided tour out of Fairbanks. Learn More >

Denali Park | Depart 7:40 AM | 3 Hours

Offering active exploration of the unique natural setting of the Denali Park area, guests return from this three-hour walking tour both energized and educated. Learn More >